


Invisible String

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 9-1-1 Season 4, Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Confessions, Domestic, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Mentioned Carla Price, Red String of Fate, Season/Series 04, Soft Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Soft Evan "Buck" Buckley, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29280279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Eddie witnesses two sweet moments between Buck and Christopher. Which leads him to have a much needed talk with Buck.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 40
Kudos: 492





	Invisible String

**Author's Note:**

> Some spoilers for the second episode of season 4.

The night is slowly drawing to a close. Eddie can tell by the way Christopher’s eyes keep slipping closed before he catches himself and forces them open. 

Buck must notice too from the fond smile on his lips as he watches him. Buck yawns and gives an exaggerated stretch. "Boy, is it that late already?" He meets Eddie's gaze and winks. "Guess I should be going, huh?"

Christopher frowns, "Do you have to?"

"Yeah, buddy. You wore me out," Buck says. "I need sleep, and so do you."

“I wish you lived here, Buck,” Christopher yawns. “Then you’d never have to leave.”

Buck smiles down at him, “Well, I’d have to leave at some point. I do have to work.”

Christopher laughs, “That’s not what I meant.”

“No?”

“No,” Christopher says. “If you were here always, you could make breakfast.”

“I see, so you want me here for my cooking skills,” Buck teases.

Christopher leans in close and lowers his voice, “Dad isn’t a very good cook.”

Eddie shakes his head when Christopher starts laughing, and Buck joins him. “I heard that.”

“It’s not exactly a secret that you’re not very good at cooking,” Buck says, grinning over at him. “Probably why we have pizza so much.”

“You’re not exactly hurrying to cook dinner either,” Eddie tells him.

Buck shrugs, “I could.”

Eddie imagines it. Buck standing at the stove, throwing a grin over his shoulder as he talks to Christopher. He doesn’t exactly hate the idea.

“Can you make lasagna?” Christopher asks him.

“I make _the best_ lasagna,” Buck says. “I’ll make it for you sometime.”

“Really?”

Buck nods and ruffles his hair, “Yeah, of course. We can’t always have pizza.”

“That’s not all we eat,” Eddie argues.

Sure, maybe they had it four times this week. But they have other things too. Buck just laughs. “Sure, Eddie.”

“I still wish you were always here,” Christopher says. 

“Hey, I’m always going to be here when you need me, alright?” Buck says. “You got my number on speed dial.”

Christopher grins, “Yeah.”

“Besides, Buck probably likes having his own space,” Eddie says. 

It’s meant to be teasing, but Eddie doesn’t miss the way Buck’s expression shifts as he frowns. It passes quickly, and his smile is back on his face just as quickly as it fell, but it seems off. An uneasy feeling forms in his gut as Buck quickly gets to his feet and grabs the plates from the table. 

“I’ll just handle these.”

He disappears into the kitchen before Eddie can say anything.

“Way to go, Dad,” Christopher says.

It’s Eddie’s turn to frown, “What did I do?”

Christopher shakes his head, “If you don’t know, I can’t tell you.”

“Is that right?”

Christopher nods, “Yep.”

“Go get ready for bed, and I’ll be in to tuck you in in a few minutes.”

Eddie watches as Christopher starts down the hall to his room. Then heads into the kitchen. Buck is standing at the sink, one of the plates in his hand. 

"You know you don't have to do that," Eddie tells him. 

Buck shrugs, "I don't mind. You do so much. The least I can do is wash a few dishes."

Eddie leans his hip against the counter next to him. There's something off about Buck's expression, and Eddie can't help but feel like he said something wrong. 

"I'm sorry about all that," Eddie says, trying to ease some of the tension in Buck's shoulders. 

It doesn't. "About what?"

"I know you were just trying to be nice," Eddie says. "Christopher loves having you around. That's all. But I know you want your own space and time away."

Buck turns the water off and sets the plate aside before turning to face Eddie better. "That's not true."

"What?"

"I'd rather be with you two than anywhere else," Buck says softly. "You're my home."

So that's what this is about. Buck's worried they don't want him around. Or that Eddie doesn't. Christopher had made it more than clear that he wants Buck here. But Eddie…

"Buck, you know you always have a place here with us," Eddie says. "Right?"

Buck shrugs, "Sure, man. But you have to be glad when I'm out of your hair at night."

Eddie opens his mouth, prepared to tell him he's wrong. But then Christopher is calling for him. "Dad!"

Buck smiles, "Sounds like someone is ready for bed."

Eddie shakes his head, "Any other time, he'd be begging to stay up later."

Buck claps his shoulder and then slides past him moving towards the door before Eddie can blink. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you." 

But Buck is already gone. Eddie can't help but feel like he missed something significant about their conversation tonight. He pushes it aside as he goes to tuck Christopher in. Whatever it is, he'll figure it out later. 

* * *

A few nights later, they're having a movie night at Eddie’s. Buck insisted on making dinner, and Eddie has to admit it was pretty damn good. 

Christopher and Buck are sitting on the couch, finishing up the movie while Eddie gets the table cleaned up. Buck had offered to help, but Eddie waved him off. It gives him a chance to watch his two favorite guys.

The movie ends, and Christopher yawns and stretches across the couch, half lying on Buck. Eddie's about to tell him to get ready for bed when he speaks.

"Love you, Buck."

Buck blinks. His face is a perfect picture of awe. Then he smiles. "I love you too, Chris."

Not for the first time, Eddie's hit with an overwhelming swell of affection as he watches the two of them together. 

"I have to show you something," Christopher tells him. "It's important."

"Oh yeah?" Buck says. "What is it?"

"If I tell you, that'll ruin the surprise," Christopher says. "Come on. It's in my room."

"Lead the way."

Buck raises his eyebrow on their way by, "Do you know what this is?"

Eddie shakes his head, "No idea."

"Come on, Buck!"

"Better not keep him waiting," Eddie laughs.

Buck grins and skips away down the hall. Curious, Eddie follows at a slower pace. He stops outside Christopher’s door and looks in at where Buck and Christopher are sitting on his floor.

"Do you know what the red string is?" Christopher asks Buck. 

"I do."

"Carla says it connects us to each other," Christopher says. "But I read about it, and I know it means other things too."

Buck nods, "Yeah, I've heard about it."

"It can be when people are in love and meant to be together," Christopher continues. "They always find their way back to each other. They're soulmates."

"Sounds nice," Buck says. 

Christopher nods, "It is. Especially since you have one."

"Do I?"

"Yeah, Buck." Christopher laughs and pulls something from his backtrack. A drawing. "Here."

Buck takes the paper from Christopher and looks down at it. His eyes are wide, and his mouth parted. "Chris, is this…?"

"It is." Christopher looks up at Eddie in the door and smiles. "Hi, Dad."

"Hi, buddy," Eddie says. He steps into the room and moves to Christopher’s dresser. "Why don't you go brush your teeth, and we can get you ready for bed?"

"I can do it myself," Christopher tells him. 

Eddie grins, "I know you can, superman. But I might need you to show me how to do it."

Christopher giggles, "Okay, Dad."

Eddie turns to address Buck, but he's gone. He frowns for a moment but then shakes his head. He'll get Christopher to bed, and then he can talk to Buck about whatever just happened.

"I think you need to talk to Buck," Christopher says as Eddie tucks him in. 

"Is that right?"

Christopher nods, "Yeah. It's important."

"Is this about the drawing you showed him?" Eddie asks. 

"Yeah."

"Care to clue me in on what's on it?"

Christopher smiles and shakes his head, "You'll see."

Eddie wants to question him further but lets it go. Christopher's eyes are slipping closed, and besides, he's not the one Eddie needs to talk to about whatever this is.

He finds Buck in the kitchen. He's standing at the counter, looking down at something. The drawing. Eddie steps up behind him and rests a hand on his back, "Buck…"

Buck jumps and spins around, eyes wide. As if he was caught doing something he shouldn't. Eddie holds up his hands. "Hey, it's me."

Buck takes a deep breath and nods, "Yeah, I know. Sorry. I… God, I'm so sorry, Eddie."

Eddie frowns, "What are you apologizing for?"

Buck holds out the drawing and doesn't say anything as Eddie looks at it. It's him and Buck on the paper. But that's not all. There's a red string on each of their wrists, flowing down between them, connecting them, with a heart in the middle.

Oh. _Oh._

"Buck…"

"I'm sorry," Buck says again, and Eddie really wishes he would stop apologizing. "He must have picked up on something. I thought I was careful. I never meant to confuse him."

"I don't think he's confused," Eddie says. He sets the drawing down on the counter next to him and runs his finger along the red string. "He's a smart and perceptive kid."

"Yeah, of course he is."

"And it wasn't just you that he was picking up on something from," Eddie continues. 

Buck blinks a few times, and Eddie can almost see the gears turning as Eddie's words process.

 _Come on, Buck,_ Eddie thinks. _You can get there._

"Are you…? Eddie, what are you saying?"

"Christopher's not the only one that wishes you could always be here," Eddie says. He might as well start there. He missed his chance to make that clear before. And going too big too soon might break Buck.

"He's not?" Buck questions. 

Eddie shakes his head, "No. I think about what it would be like to wake up with you here. For us to all have breakfast as a family. To go to work and then come home together. To have family dinners. To sleep next to you. And then…"

"What?"

"To hold your hand." Eddie reaches out and takes one of Buck's hands in his. "To wrap my arms around you and hold you close." His other arm wraps around Buck's waist, and he pulls him in. Their eyes meet, and Eddie can almost feel the electricity between them. His next words are quiet, but he has no doubt Buck can still hear them. "To kiss you."

Buck smiles and leans in, brushing their noses together. He no longer looks panicked. There's hope there now, and something else shining brightly in his eyes. "You can, Eddie. God. You can have all that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Buck says. "Whatever you want, I'm yours."

"I just want you," Eddie whispers. 

"You have me," Buck tells him. His next words are whispered against Eddie's lips as he pulls him in with a hand behind his head. "Always, Eddie." And then they're kissing and kissing, and everything else falls away.

Eddie's dreamed of this moment so many times. Wondered what it would be like to finally kiss Buck. To have his strong arms holding close for more than a brief hug.

But nothing could have prepared him for the beautiful all-consuming reality of the moment. Eddie's not sure he believes in the whole soulmate thing, but he does know he loves Buck. He knows that he feels connected to him in a way he's never felt with anyone else. Maybe there is some invisible string tying them together. 

Or maybe it's just them. 

Eddie's okay with that too. More than okay with it. Because now he gets to have this. Buck in his arms, smiling against his lips. His hands warm and solid against him, grounding him. Whatever it is that brought them together, Eddie's grateful for it. Now the rest is up to them, and Eddie's looking forward to finding out where this goes.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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